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Membrillo
"Death makes sad stories of us all." -Membrillo Membrillo is a resident of Rubacava, where he works as the local coroner. He is found in the morgue located in the upper part of town, adjacent to the police station. He appears only in Year 2. Background Membrillo has a tall build, with a weary face and sunken-in eyes. He is always seen in his work clothes, a dirty blue labcoat, and wears a pair of goggles on his forehead. He speaks in a notably deep and somber voice. It is never stated how long Membrillo has worked in the afterlife as a coroner, but it is clear that years on the job have taken their toll. His job is to examine the bodies of unknown people who have been sprouted, and sort through the flowers to find something that will identify them. He laments that his job centers around searching for something he does not want to find, for when he locates something that reveals who the person is, he has to phone their friends or relatives to inform them of the tragedy. Membrillo's perspective on the afterlife is very dark, and his somber and jaded personality is a stark contrast to the rest of the town. When visited by Manny Calavera, he explains that his job is to "sort through pure sadness," and to uncover stories about people's lives after death. But in his own words: "None of my stories end well. They all end here." His personality also appears to put at least a few other residents of Rubacava off; after Manny makes a somewhat dark comment, he is warned by Maximino that he is beginning to sound like Membrillo. Membrillo is also the afterlife's equivalent of an atheist, as he admits to Manny that he no longer believes in the Ninth Underworld, which Manny finds surprising. Membrillo explains that "you can only search for something for so many years before you stop believing in it altogether." He also asserts that everyone else in Rubacava has also given up hope of reaching the Ninth Underworld, whether or not they admit it, and he wistfully assures Manny that someday, he too will lose hope. Role in Year 2 ﻿When Manny first encounters Membrillo at the morgue in Rubacava, he is examining two sprouted bodies for something that will identify them. He makes numerous complaints about how he is unable to find anything with the shabby tools he is provided with. After knocking out Seaman Naranja, Manny steals his dog tags and places them on one of the bodies at the morgue when Membrillo is not looking. He then gives Membrillo Carla's metal detector, and with it, Membrillo discovers the dog tags in the bed of flowers, which leads him to believe that the sprouted body is Naranja. Membrillo then phones Dockmaster Velasco with the sad news. With Naranja believed dead, there is an opening for Manny on the SS Lola, which will take Manny to Puerto Zapato. Fate ﻿After Manny tricks him, and he phones Velasco, Membrillo locks up the morgue and goes home for the night. He is never seen or mentioned in the game again. When Manny returns to Rubacava in Year 4, the upper part of town is unreachable due to a new curfew on the elevator. Hence, the player cannot travel to the morgue, and Membrillo's fate after Year 2 is left unknown. Trivia ﻿Membrillo wears a belt buckle with his name inscribed on it, to ensure his body is easily identifiable, wishing to avoid the fate of his sprouted "customers." He advises Manny to take similar precautions. Membrillo has an important monologue about florists, and how they are often driven mad in the afterlife; this foreshadows the role of Bowlsley the Florist in Year 4. Quotes "We may have years, we may have hours, but sooner or later, we push up flowers." "My secret to happiness is that I have the heart of a 12 years old... I keep it in a jar. "The average retirement-age beach comber has more sophisticated equipment than I've got here." Category:Character